DAVIS, Calif. — A pair of unearned runs were UC Davis' undoing on Sunday afternoon at La Rue Field as visiting CSUN scored twice in the second inning and held off numerous rally attempts to salvage game three of this Big West Conference series by the score of 2-1.
The loss snaps the Aggies' eight-game winning streak, dropping them to 27-6 overall and 2-1 in league play as they fell for the first time since March 15.
The Matadors, meanwhile, improved to 17-19 overall and 1-2 in conference action as right-hander Jillian James (11-8) struck out nine and scattered only three hits in the win.
Sophomore left-hander
Brooke Yanez (17-2) suffered only her second loss of the season, allowing just five hits and striking out eight along with the two unearned scores.
Both teams went quietly in the first as Jessica Alexander led off with a single and moved all the way to third on a perfectly placed bunt single by Mackenzie Babbitt to put runners on the corners. Babbitt then took off for second as the throw went into centerfield, allowing Alexander, who held at third to score easily for the 1-0 lead.
Babbitt, who finished 2-for-3 on the day, then took off for third, drawing another throw that skipped down the left field line, allowing her to take the extra base and make it 2-0.
Undaunted, the Aggies scratched back with a run in the third as junior
Maddie Rojas doubled to right centerfield and was sacrificed to third for
Isabella Leon, who sent a pop-up into foul ground behind first base, just deep enough for Rojas to score from third on the sacrifice fly and halve the deficit.
The UC Davis defense then did its best to keep the Aggies close as
Riley Siegel erased a would-be base stealer in the fourth, the infield went around the horn to turn a key double play in the sixth, and
Marissa Jauregui hit Leon with a throw from the fence in left centerfield, who relayed to
Riley Siegel to erase another runner trying to score in the sixth that would have made it a two-run lead.
Meanwhile, the Aggies had a runner in scoring position in the fifth following a walk to
Marisa Given and a sacrifice, and runners on in the sixth and seventh thanks to singles by
Alex Sotomayor and Given, respective, but could not score the tying run, leaving four on base on the day.
UC Davis hits the road for the first time in Big West play next weekend, heading down the California coast to take on UC Santa Barbara in a three-game series. The weekend opens with a doubleheader on Saturday (April 6) at 1 p.m., with the series finale scheduled for Noon on Sunday (April 7) at Campus Diamond.
CSUN 2, UC Davis 1 (Mar 31, 2019 at Davis, Calif.)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
CSUN................ 020 000 0 - 2 5 0 (17-19, 1-2 BIG WEST)
UC Davis............ 001 000 0 - 1 3 2 (27-6, 2-1 BIG WEST)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Pitchers: CSUN - James, Jillian and Rascon, Gator. UC Davis - Yanez, Brooke and Siegel, Riley.
Win - James, Jillian (11-8) Loss - Yanez, Brooke (17-2) T-1:50 A-169
Weather: 70 deg.; wind:8mphNNW
ABOUT UC DAVIS
Providing a small-town community feel while providing a world-class academic experience, UC Davis is home to more than 37,000 students and centrally located between San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, and the Napa Valley. The No. 5-ranked public university in the nation according to the Wall Street Journal and Times Higher Education, and among the top 10 public universities nationwide according to U.S. News and World Report, UC Davis offers nearly 100 graduate programs and more than 100 academic majors across four colleges and six professional schools, ranking among the world and nation's best in numerous disciplines, including veterinary science, agriculture, and plant and animal programs.
AGGIE EVO
Launched in 2017-18, the Aggie EVO System is UC Davis Athletics' investment in the primary mission of preparing student-athletes for a successful "launch" after graduation. Thanks to a collaboration of alumni, university resources, corporate partners, coaches and Student-Athlete Outcomes staff, all Aggies are guided over four years to acquire the skills, knowledge, opportunities and tools to better know and navigate the "World of Work" after graduating from UC Davis. Follow the Aggie EVO system on Twitter and Instagram at @AggieEVO.
